| The
Temptations,
Thanks to their fine-tuned
choreography -- and even finer
harmonies, became the definitive male
vocal group of the 1960s; one of
Motown's most elastic acts, they tackled
both lush pop and politically charged
funk with equal flair, and weathered a
steady stream of changes in personnel
and consumer tastes with rare dignity
and grace. The Temptations' initial
five-man lineup formed in Detroit in
1961 as a merger of two local vocal
groups, the Primes and the Distants.
Baritone Otis Williams, Elbridge (aka
El, or Al) Bryant, and bass vocalist
Melvin Franklin were longtime veterans
of the Detroit music scene when they
joined together in the Distants, who in
1959 recorded the single "Come On" for
the local Northern label. Around the
same time, the Primes, a trio comprised
of tenor Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams
(no relation to Otis), and Kell Osborne,
relocated to the Motor City from their
native Alabama; they quickly found
success locally, and their manager even
put together a girl group counterpart
dubbed the Primettes. (Later, three of
the Primettes -- Diana Ross, Mary Wilson
and Florence Ballard -- formed the
Supremes).
In 1961, the Primes disbanded, but
not before Otis Williams saw them
perform live, where he was impressed
both by Kendricks' vocal prowess and
Paul Williams' choreography skills.
Soon, Otis Williams, Paul Williams,
Bryant, Franklin, and Kendricks joined
together as the Elgins; after a name
change to the Temptations, they signed
to the Motown subsidiary Miracle, where
they released a handful of singles over
the ensuing months. Only one, the 1962
effort "Dream Come True," achieved any
commercial success, however, and in
1963, Bryant either resigned or was
fired after physically attacking Paul
Williams. The Tempts' fortunes changed
dramatically in 1964 when they recruited
tenor David Ruffin to replace Bryant;
after entering the studio with
writer/producer Smokey Robinson, they
emerged with the pop smash "The Way You
Do the Things You Do," the first in a
series of 37 career Top Ten hits. With
Robinson again at the helm, they
returned in 1965 with their signature
song, "My Girl," a number one pop and
R&B hit; other Top 20 hits that year
included "It's Growing," "Since I Lost
My Baby," "Don't Look Back," and "My
Baby."
In 1966, the Tempts recorded another
Robinson hit, "Get Ready," before
forgoing his smooth popcraft for the
harder-edged soul of producers Norman
Whitfield and Brian Holland. After
spotlighting Kendricks on the smash "Ain't
Too Proud to Beg," the group allowed
Ruffin to take control over a string of
hits including "Beauty's Only Skin Deep"
and "(I Know) I'm Losing You." Beginning
around 1967, Whitfield assumed full
production control, and their records
became ever rougher and more muscular,
as typified by the 1968 success "I Wish
It Would Rain." After Ruffin failed to
appear at a 1968 live performance, the
other four Tempts fired him; he was
replaced by ex-Contour Dennis Edwards,
whose less polished voice adapted
perfectly to the psychedelic-influenced
soul period the group entered following
the success of the single "Cloud Nine."
As the times changed, so did the group,
and as the 1960s drew to a close, the
Temptations' music became overtly
political; in the wake of "Cloud Nine"
-- its title a thinly veiled drug
allegory -- came records like "Run Away
Child, Running Wild," "Psychedelic
Shack," and "Ball of Confusion (That's
What the World Is Today)."
After the chart-topping success of
the gossamer ballad "Just My Imagination
(Running Away With Me)" in 1971,
Kendricks exited for a solo career.
Soon, Paul Williams left the group as
well; long plagued by alcoholism and
other personal demons, he was eventually
discovered dead from a self-inflected
gunshot on August 17, 1973, at the age
of 34. In their stead the remaining trio
recruited tenors Damon Harris and
Richard Street; after the 1971 hit
"Superstar (Remember How You Got Where
You Are)," they returned in 1972 with
the brilliant number one single "Papa
Was a Rolling Stone." While the Tempts
hit the charts regularly throughout 1973
with "Masterpiece," "Let Your Hair
Down," and "The Plastic Man," their
success as a pop act gradually dwindled
as the 1970s wore on. After Harris
exited in 1975 (replaced by tenor Glenn
Leonard), the group cut 1976's The
Temptations Do the Temptations, their
final album for Motown. With Louis Price
taking over for Edwards, they signed to
Atlantic, and attempted to reach the
disco market with the LPs Bare Back and
Hear to Tempt You.
After Edwards returned to the fold
(resulting in Price's hasty exit), the
Temptations re-entered the Motown
stable, and scored a 1980 hit with
"Power." In 1982, Ruffin and Kendricks
returned for Reunion, which also
included all five of the current Tempts;
a tour followed, but problems with
Motown, as well as personal differences,
cut Ruffin's and Kendricks' tenures
short. In the years that followed, the
Temptations continued touring and
recording, although by the 1990s they
were essentially an oldies act; only
Otis Williams, who published his
autobiography in 1988, remained from the
original lineup. The intervening years
were marked by tragedy: after touring in
the late '80s with Kendricks and Edwards
as a member of the "Tribute to the
Temptations" package tour, Ruffin died
on June 1, 1991, after overdosing on
cocaine; he was 50 years old. On October
5, 1992, Kendricks died at the age of 52
of lung cancer, and on February 23,
1995, 52-year-old Franklin passed away
after suffering a brain seizure. In
1998, the Temptations returned with
Phoenix Rising; that same year, their
story was also the subject of a
well-received NBC television miniseries.
Ear-Resistable followed in the spring of
2000. |
